OKLAHOMA DISABILITY ETIQUETTE HANDBOOK ADA & RESOURCES
GOVERNOR’S COMMITTEE ON EMPLOYMENT OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
OFFICE OF DISABILITY CONCERNS 2401 NW 23RD, STE 90 (Shepherd Mall) Oklahoma City, OK 73107-2423 (405) 521-3756 Voice 1-800-522-8224 Voice (405) 522-6706 TDD www.odc.ok.gov
Dear Oklahomans,
The OKLAHOMA DISABILITY ETIQUETTE HANDBOOK was developed in response to the need to educate employers about ways to relate to people with disabilities in the workplace after the passage of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. It was first published in July of 1991 and was distributed at the Governor’s Conference, IMPLEMENTING THE AMERICAN’S WITH DISABILITIES ACT IN OKLAHOMA, in October 1991. Second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth editions were published in 1993, 1996, 2001, 2003 and 2008.
While the original intent was to educate employers, this publication became very popular with college professors, social service providers in the public and private sectors, and many others. We are indeed proud that it has been a tool for facilitating change in attitudes and behaviors in a variety of settings. In the past seventeen years, the Office of Disability Concerns has distributed more than 75,000 copies.
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Acknowledgments our special thanks to the City of Chicago for extending permission for use of the text from its publication, “Disability Etiquette Handbook.”
Revised April 2008
OKLAHOMA DISABILITY ETIQUETTE HANDBOOK
DISABILITY ETIQUETTE CHAPTER I Definitions...... 1-2 Writing and Talking About Individuals With Disabilities...... 1-3 Conversation Etiquette...... 1-5 Reception Etiquette...... 1-6 Interacting With An Individual Who Has A Service Animal...... 1-7 Interviewing and Scheduling Etiquette...... 1-8 Interviewing Techniques ...... 1-9 Interviewing Individuals Using Mobility Aids ...... 1-10 Interviewing Individuals With Vision Impairments ...... 1-10 Interviewing Individuals With Speech Impairments ...... 1-10 Interviewing Individuals Who Are Deaf and Hearing Impaired ...... 1-11 Interviewing Individuals With Mental Illnesses...... 1-12 Interviewing Persons With Service Animals...... 1-12
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT CHAPTER 2 Purpose of the Act...... 2-2 Who is Protected ...... 2-3
TITLE I EMPLOYMENT ...... 2-4 What’s Prohibited ...... 2-4 Determining The Essential Functions...... 2-6 Reasonable Accommodations ...... 2-8 Personal Assistance Services In The Workplace ...... 2-9 Service Animals At Work ...... 2-9 Disabilities In The Workplace Visible/Invisible...... 2-10 Arthritis...... 2-10 Asthma...... 2-12 Diabetes ...... 2-12 HIV/AIDS ...... 2-14 Learning Disability ...... 2-16 Epilepsy...... 2-17 Mental Illness...... 2-19 Multiple Sclerosis...... 2-23 Heart Disease...... 2-24
OKLAHOMA DISABILITY ETIQUETTE HANDBOOK
TITLE II STATE and LOCAL GOVERNMENTS...... 2-27 Public Transportation...... 2-28
TITLE III PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS...... 2-28 Access and What It Means...... 2-29 Individuals With Mobility Impairments ...... 2-30 Individuals With Hearing Impairments ...... 2-30 Individuals With Visual Impairments...... 2-30 The ADA and Service Animals ...... 2-32 Attitudinal Barriers ...... 2-34
TITLE IV Telecommunications ...... 2-36
TITLE V Miscellaneous Provisions...... 2-36
RESOURCES CHAPTER 3
Oklahoma Department of Rehabilitation Services ...... 3-2 Visual Services...... 3-2 Library for the Blind ...... 3-2 Deaf and Hearing Impaired...... 3-3 Interpreter Services Vendors ...... 3-3 Tulsa Speech & Hearing Assoc...... 3-3 Sign Language Services for the Deaf...... 3-3 Telecommunication Equipment Program ...... 3-5 Community Rehabilitation Services...... 3-5 OK Center for Rehabilitative Driving Services ...... 3-5 Oklahoma Independent Living Centers...... 3-5 Ability Resources ...... 3-7 Sandra Beasley Independent Living Center...... 3-6 Oklahomans for Independent Living...... 3-6 Progressive Independence ...... 3-6 Green Country Independent Living Resource Center...... 3-6 Office of Disability Concerns ...... 3-7 Governor’s Advisory Committee on Employment...... 3-7 Governor’s Advisory Committee on Disability Concerns ...... 3-7 Client Assistance Program ...... 3-7 Mediation Program...... 3-8
RESOURCES CHAPTER 3 (Continued)
Assistive Technology...... 3-8 Oklahoma A.B.L.E. Tech...... 3-8 Ability Resources ...... 3-9 Green Country...... 3-10 Oklahomans for Independent Living ...... 3-10 Progressive Independence...... 3-10 Okla. Developmental Disabilities Council ...... 3-10 Center For Learning & Leadership ...... 3-10 Oklahoma Community Based Providers ...... 3-11 J.D. McCarty Center ...... 3-12 OASIS ...... 3-12 Oklahoma Mental Health Consumer Council...... 3-12 NAMI-Oklahoma ...... 3-12 Mental Health Associations...... 3-13 Oklahoma City...... 3-13 Tulsa...... 3-13 WORKFORCE OKLAHOMA...... 3-14 Service Dog Access Information...... 3-14 Office of Disability Employment Policy...... 3-14 Job Accommodation Network (JAN)...... 3-15 Oklahoma Disability Law Center...... 3-15 Oklahoma Colleges Disabled Student Services ...... 3-15 Federal ADA Enforcement/Technical Assistance...... 3-16 State Employment Enforcement Agencies...... 3-18 Equal Employment Opportunity Commission...... 3-18 Human Rights Commission ...... 3-18 Regional Employment Enforcement Agencies ...... 3-18 Office of Civil Rights ...... 3-18 Region VI Technical Assistance Center...... 3-19 Telephone Numbers For ADA Information ...... 3-20 Oklahoma Toll Free Numbers ...... 3-21 National Toll Free Numbers ...... 3-22 Adaptive Technology Information ...... 3-26 Bibliography ...... 3-27
Chapter 1 DISABILITY ETIQUETTE
0BDISABILITY ETIQUETTE 1-1
DISABILITY ETIQUETTE
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
People with disabilities prefer to be called people with disabilities.
People with disabilities are not conditions or diseases; they are individual human beings. (For example, an individual is not “an epileptic”, but, rather, “a person who has epilepsy.”) First and foremost, we are people; only secondarily do we have one or more disabling conditions. Hence, we prefer to be referred to, in print or in the broadcast media, as people with disabilities.
1-2 0BDISABILITY ETIQUETTE
WRITING OR TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES
ACCEPTABLE TERMS UNACCEPTABLE TERMS The person, persons with a disability Cripple, crippled- the image conveyed is of a twisted deformed, useless body Disability, a general term used for Handicap, handicapped person, or functional limitations that interfere with a handicapped when referring to a person. person’s ability, for example, to hear, walk, The terms Handicap or Handicapped are learn or lift. It may refer to a physical, still appropriate when referring to a law or mental or sensory condition. office that was set up using the words Handicap or Handicapped, as in “Handicapped Parking”.
Person with cerebral palsy or person who Cerebral palsied, spinal cord injured, etc. has a spinal cord injury Never identify people solely by a disability. “ She’s the blind lady or he’s the man in the wheelchair”.
Person who has had a spinal cord injury, Victim of- people with disabilities do not polio or stroke, etc. or a person who has like to be perceived as victims for the rest multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy or of their lives, long after any victimization arthritis. has occurred.
Has a disability, has a condition of (spina Defective, defect, deformed, vegetable- bifida, etc.), or person born without legs, These words are offensive, dehumanizing, arms. degrading and stigmatizing. Deafness/hearing impairment. “Deafness” Deaf and dumb is as bad as it sounds. refers to a person who has a total loss of Inability to hear or to speak does not hearing. “Hearing impairment” refers to a indicate less intelligence. person who has a partial loss of hearing within a range from slight to severe.
0BDISABILITY ETIQUETTE 1-3
WRITING OR TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITH
DISABILITIES (continued)
ACCEPTABLE TERMS UNACCEPTABLE TERMS Person who has a mental illness or a Psycho, nut, crazy, loony, schizo, psychiatric disability psychiatric, schizophrenic, manic. Person who has a mental or Retarded, moron, imbecile, idiot— developmental disability these terms are offensive to people who bear the label. A person who uses a wheelchair or Confined/restricted to a wheelchair, crutches; a wheelchair user, walks with wheelchair bound. Most people who crutches. use a wheelchair or mobility devices do not regard them as confining. They are viewed as liberating, a means of getting around and gaining independence. Able-bodied, able to walk, see, hear, Healthy-when used to contrast with etc., people who are not disabled. “disabled”, “healthy” implies the person with a disability is unhealthy. Many people with disabilities have excellent health. People who do not have a disability Normal, when used as the opposite of “disabled”, implies the person is abnormal. No one wants to be labeled as abnormal. A person who has (name the disability) Afflicted with/suffers from ____. Most people with disabilities don’t regard themselves as afflicted or suffering continually. A person who has multiple sclerosis Afflicted: a disability is not an (MS) affliction. An affliction may have caused the disability
1-4 0BDISABILITY ETIQUETTE
CONVERSATION ETIQUETTE
1. When talking to a person with a disability, look and speak directly to that person, rather than through a companion who may be along.
2. Relax. Don’t be embarrassed if you happen to use accepted, common expressions, such as “See you later”, “Got to be running along” that seems to relate to the person’s disability.
3. To get the attention of a person with a hearing impairment, tap the person on the shoulder or wave your hand. Look directly at the person and speak clearly, naturally and slowly to establish if the person can read lips. Not all persons with hearing impairments can lip read. Those who do will rely on facial expressions and other body language to help in understanding. Show consideration by placing yourself facing the light source. Keep hands, etc. away from your mouth when speaking. Keep mustaches well trimmed. Shouting won’t help. Written notes may.
4. When talking with a person in a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, utilize a chair, whenever possible, in order to place yourself at the person’s eye level to facilitate conversation.
5. When greeting a person with a severe loss of vision, always identify yourself and others who may be with you. Say, for example, “On my right is Penelope Potts.” When conversing in a group, give a vocal cue by announcing the name of the person to whom you are speaking. Speak in a normal tone of voice, indicate in advance when you will be moving from one place to another, and let the person know when the conversation is ending.
6. Listen attentively when you are talking to a person who has a speech impairment. Keep your manner encouraging rather than correcting. Exercise patience rather than attempting to speak for a person with speech difficulty. When necessary, ask short questions that require short answers or a nod or shake of the head. Never pretend to understand if you are having difficulty doing so. Repeat what you understand, or incorporate interviewees’ statements into questions. The person’s reaction will clue you in and guide you to understanding.
6a. If you have difficulty communicating, be willing to repeat or rephrase a question. Open-ended questions are more appropriate than closed ended questions.
0BDISABILITY ETIQUETTE 1-5
CONVERSATION ETIQUETTE (continued)
Example: Closed-ended question: You were a tax accountant at XYZ Company, in the corporate planning department for seven years. What did you do there? Open-ended question: Tell me about your recent position as a tax accountant.
7. Do not shout at a hearing impaired person. Shouting distorts the sounds accepted through hearing aids and inhibits lip reading. Do not shout at a person who is blind or visually impaired. He or she can hear you!
8. In order to facilitate conversation, be prepared to offer a visual cue to a hearing impaired person or a verbal cue to a visually impaired person, especially when more than one person is speaking.
RECEPTION ETIQUETTE
Know where accessible restrooms, drinking fountains and telephones are located. If such facilities are not available, be ready to offer alternatives (e.g., the private/employee restroom, a glass of water, your desk phone).
1. Use a normal tone of voice when extending a verbal welcome. Don’t raise your voice unless requested.
2. When introduced to a person with a disability, it is appropriate to offer to shake hands. People with limited hand use or who wear an artificial limb can usually shake hands.
a. Shaking hands with the left hand is an acceptable greeting.
b. For those who cannot shake hands, touch the person on the shoulder or arm to welcome and acknowledge his presence.
3. Treat adults in a manner befitting adults:
a. Call a person by his or her first name only when extending that familiarity to all others present.
b. Never patronize people using wheelchairs by patting them on the head or shoulder.
1-6 0BDISABILITY ETIQUETTE
RECEPTION ETIQUETTE (continued)
4. When addressing a person who uses a wheelchair, never lean on the person’s wheelchair. The chair is part of the body space that belongs to the person who uses it.
5. When talking with a person who has a disability, look and speak directly to the person, rather than through a companion who may be along.
6. If an interpreter is present, speak to the person who scheduled the appointment, not to the interpreter. Always maintain eye contact with the applicant, not the interpreter.
7. Offer assistance in a dignified manner with sensitivity and respect. Be prepared to have the offer declined. Don’t proceed to assist, if your offer is declined. If the offer is accepted, listen to, or ask for instructions.
a. Allow a person with a visual impairment to take your arm (at or about the elbow). This will enable you to guide rather than propel or lead the person.
b. Offer to hold or carry packages in a welcome manner. Example: “May I help you with your packages?”
c. When offering to hang a coat or umbrella, do not offer to hang a cane or crutches, unless the individual requests otherwise.
INTERACTING WITH A PERSON WHO USES A SERVICE ANIMAL